1. METALWORKING IN
THE
ROMAN EMPIRE
Helen Broadhurst

2. AFTER AGRICULTURE MINING WAS VIRTUALLY THE LARGEST
INDUSTRY IN THE ROMAN WORLD.
EVIDENCE OF MINING IS FOUND IN MANY PROVINCES,
PARTICULARLY SPAIN, WHERE GOLD, SILVER, COPPER. TIN AND
LEAD WERE FOUND.
THE CONVERSION OF ORES INTO METALS READY FOR USE
INVOLVED SEVERAL PROCESSES:
-SMELTING WITH CHARCOAL IN A FIRE – OR FURNACE.
-BOWL OR SHAFT FURNACES FOR PRODUCING IRON.
-SILVER WAS OBTAINED FROM LEAD BY THE PROCESS OF
CUPELLATION.
SMELTING WAS OFTEN UNDERTAKEN
CLOSE TO THE MINES THEMSELVES.
SMELTED METALS WERE POURED INTO
MOULDS TO FORM INGOTS WHICH
WERE THEN TRANSPORTED TO MAN-
UFACTURING SITES.

3. USES OF METALS
• WITHIN THE MINING INDUSTRY,NUMEROUS IRON TOOLS WERE USED E.G.:
– PICKS, CHISELS AND WEDGES.
– ORE WAS REMOVED FROM MINES IN BUCKETS – SOME MADE FROM COPPER ALLOY.
• FROM 7TH
CENTURY B.C. SHIPPING ANCHORS CAST FROM IRON AND LEAD WERE
USED.
• ARMS AND ARMOUR.
• ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING JEWELLERY AND TABLEWARE
• COINAGE: THE EARLIEST FORM OF CURRENCY
USED IN ROME WAS LUMPS OF BRONZE CALLED
AES RUDE, ( RAW BRONZE), FOLLOWED AT THE
START OF 3RD
. CENTURY B.C BY RECTANGULAR
OR ROUND OBJECTS. CALLED AES SIGNATUM.
AROUND 269 B.C. THESE WERE REPLACED BY
THE FIRST MINTED COINS - AES GRAVE,
(HEAVY BRONZE), AND ALL SUBSEQUENT COIN-
AGE WAS MADE FROM VARIOUS BRONZE ALLOYS
AS WELL SILVER AND GOLD.

4. GOLD: MAINLY USED FOR JEWELLERY –
CHAINS, NECKLACES, RINGS, BRACELETS,
EARRINGS AND PENDANTS
MOST OF THESE WERE MADE FROM SHEET
GOLD, FORMED BY HAMMERING THE INGOT
ON AN ANVIL, ALTHOUGH GOLD WIRE WAS
ALSO USED AND OCCASIONALLY OBJECTS
WERE CAST.
SILVER: SYRIA, ALEXANDRIA AND ITALY WERE
MOST FAMOUS FOR PRODUCTION OF SILVERWARE.
WHILE THERE WERE MANY SMALL WORKSHOPS, SOME LARGE FACTORIES
PRODUCED SILVER PLATE.
MOST SIGNATURES INDICATE GREEK ARTISANS.
OBJECTS WERE HAMMERED INTO SHAPE, THEN POL-
ISHED AND DECORATED BY REPOUSSE WORK, ENGRAV-
ING, CHASING OR GILDING.
RINGS AND BRACELETS, AS WELL AS VESSELS, STRAIN-
ERS AND SPOONS WERE PRODUCED.
SILVER PLATE WAS RARE IN ROME UNTIL AFTER THE
PUNIC WAR, WHEN THE RICH RESOURCES OF SPAIN
WERE CAPTURED.
HIGH QUALITY SILVER PLATE OBJECTS WERE PRESENTED AS STATE GIFTS.

5. IRON WAS WORKED BY
BLACKSMITHS USING
FORGES ON IRON ANVILS.
SMITHING WAS A COMMON
OCCUPATION THROUGHOUT
THE ROMAN WORLD AND
MANY OBJECTS WERE
MADE, INCLUDING TOOLS,
WEAPONS AND FITTINGS.
COPPER WAS MOSTLY USED AS PART OF AN ALLOY – WITH TIN FOR
BRONZE, AS WELL AS BRASS ( ZINC ).
BRONZE WAS WIDELY USED FOR EVERYTHING FROM COINS AND WEAPONS
TO TABLEWARE AND JEWELLERY.
CORE, OR HOLLOW CASTING, FORMED HOLLOW WARE THROUGH THE METHOD
OF LOST WAX CASTING.
OPEN VESSELS WERE ALSO CAST IN STONE MOULDS OR BY HAMMERING AND
SHAPING SHEET BRONZE OVER A MOULD ROTATED ON A LATHE.
MANY BRONZE OBJECTS WERE HIGHLY DECORATED BY THE ADDITION OF
BRONZEWORK AND OTHER METALS TO THE SURFACE, AS WELL AS ENAMELING.

6. LEAD WAS USED FOR WEIGHTS, SEALS,
SPINDLE WHEELS
SHEET LEAD BECAME WATER TANKS,
PIPES, BATH LINIGS, CONTAINERS AND
COFFINS.
PEWTER, AN ALLOY OF LEAD AND
TIN WAS CAST IN STONE MOULDS. THIS
WAS USED AS SOLDER AND WAS POPULAR
IN BRITAIN IN 3RD CENTURY AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR SILVER FOR TABLEWARE.

7. LEAD WAS USED FOR WEIGHTS, SEALS,
SPINDLE WHEELS
SHEET LEAD BECAME WATER TANKS,
PIPES, BATH LINIGS, CONTAINERS AND
COFFINS.
PEWTER, AN ALLOY OF LEAD AND
TIN WAS CAST IN STONE MOULDS. THIS
WAS USED AS SOLDER AND WAS POPULAR
IN BRITAIN IN 3RD CENTURY AS A
SUBSTITUTE FOR SILVER FOR TABLEWARE.